Improvement in machines for polishing wire



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C. SMITH. Machinesfor Polishing Wire.

Patented A m 7,1874.

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0 SMITH. Machines for Polishing Wire.- No.1 49,534..

Patented April], 1874.

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UNITED STATES- PATENT Orrrcn CHARLES SMITH, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR POLISHING WIRE.

Specification forming part of Lettcrs Patent No. 149,534, dated April 7, 1874; application filul November 7, 1873. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES SMITH, of Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in a Method and Machine for Oleanin g Wire, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of an apparatus for section of the same on the line or w of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are views of portions shown in detail.

In the manufacture of wire it is necessary, after the wire has been passed through the draw plates or dies, to anneal or soften it by heatmg preparatory to redrawing, and this annealing produces on the wire a scale which has to be removed before it is again drawn. To accomplish this result, I provide a cylinder, B, and mount it in a suitable frame, A, and connect it to a crank-shaft, O, in such a manner as toimpart to the cylinder a vertically-reciprocating motion, so that the bundles and strands of wires placed in said cylinder will be thoroughly shaken, and beat and rubbed against one another within the cylinder, thereby removing the scale and adhering matter of any kind. In this case, the cylinder B has connected to it a cross-bar, B, working in or on upright guides H, secured to the upper part of the main frame A, and a stem or bar, I, secured to a block, Z, working in guides G,

below a pitman, D, connecting this block lto' the crank-shaft O, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In order to compensate for the weight of the cylinder and its contents in part, and enable it to be operated more easily and without jar to the frame, I connect springs 12, Fig. 1, to the crossbar B and the uprights H, so that when the cylinder is depressed, the springs will as sist to raise it again. -Any style of spring may be used, there being shown in Fig. 1 a flat rubber strap on one side, and spiral spring on the other. may be arranged under the crossbar or under the cylinder B, and that elliptic springs, or

it is obvious that the springs spiral springs, or rubber springs, or any other style may be used with the same result. The cylinder B is represented as having a solid central post, h, Fig. 2, into the top of which a screw, 0, enters to hold on the covers a and b, but these may be secured in any suitable manner. The cylinder B has a hole, f, Fig 1, at

its bottom, and a flexible pipe, '1, is connected by a tube at this point, to convey away the water, scale, and dirt, there being a similar tube or pipe, L, secured to the cover I), as represented in Fig. 1, for supplying water to the cylinder when required. There is a cover, a, fitted to the top of the cylinder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, its upper surface being made concave, and provided with a series of perforations, 0, as shown in Fig. 3, and over this is secured the outer cover I), as shown in the drawings, so that the water supplied by pipe L will ffow into the annular space between the covers a and b, and'pass thence through the perforations e in the cover a, and thus fall in a shower or series of small streams upon the bundles of wire placed in the cylinder B.

In cleaning the coarser wires, which are wound into bundles or coils of larger diameter,

they are bound around at intervals with wire to keep the strands of one bundle from becomin g tangled with those of the other bundles but so loosely that the strands are left free to move and rub one against another, and thus keep up a continuous rubbing or scouring operation, and cleaning the wire from scale and adhering dirt far more effectually than any more jarring or shaking of the bundles can do, the detached scale and grit itself being mixed among the mass, and assisting in the scouring and polishing.

When the finer kinds of wire are to be cleaned or polished, I insert within the cylinder B another cylinder, 0, as shown in Fig. 1, thus reducing its diameter to correspond with the size of the bundles and this inner cylinder is provided with a central tube, which surrounds or slips over the central post h, and which assists to prevent the fine wire from becoming intermingled or tangled, the strands of one bundle with those of another, as it would do if thrown loosely into a cylinder of a diameter much greater than that of the bundles, the bundles, as shown, being slipped over or around the central post It, and when the inner cylinder 0 is used around the central tube of the same, as represented in Fig. 1, the bundles being left in such a condition when put in, that their strands will be loose and free to rub against one another, as previously stated.

The operation is as follows: After the wire has been passed through the draw plate or die, it is annealed by heating, then treated with a solution of sulphuric acid and water, to loosen the scale and adhering dirt, then washed, and afterward placed in the cylinder. The machine being set in motion, thoroughly rubs, beats, and scours the wire, rendering it bright and clean. During the operation, water is turned on through the pipe L at pleasure, and as it passes oil through the pipe T, carries off with it all the scale and dirt, thus leaving the wire in the cylinder clean and free from dirt of all kinds. This process is repeated after each drawing and annealing; but when iron or steel wire is to be used in the unannealed state, it is not necessary to put in the machine after the last drawing, as it comes from the die bright and smooth, ready for use.

In the cleaning and polishing of fine brass and copper wire, I place in the cylinder suitable polishing material, wheat-bran being generally used, especially for the last operation.

Having thus described my invention, whating and polishing wire, consisting of a cylinder capable of holding the wire, together with the fluidsand polishing materials, in combination with mechanism for imparting to the cylinder a vertically-reciprocating motion, substantially as described.

2. The cylinder B, provided with the covers a and b, with a space between for the passage of water, and perforations through. the cover a, whereby the water is delivered in small streams at various points, as set forth.

3. The springs n, or their equivalents, in combination with the reciprocating cylinder B, substantially as described.

4. The inner cylinder 0, constructed and arranged in connection with the cylinder B, as shown and described.

5. The reciprocating cylinder 13, provided with pipes L and T, for conveying water through the cylinder while in motion, as set forth.

CHARLES SM [TH Witnesses I. R. LABRYTIE, O. W. PownRs. 

